Overhead shield for tunneling.



PATEN'JTED MAY 2, 1905.

R. STONE. v BAD SHIELD FOR TUNNELING.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 8, 1903.

OVERH 3 SHBETS-SHEET l.

PATENTED MAY 2, 1905 R. STONE.

OVERHEAD SHIELD FOR TUNNELING- APPLIOATION FILED MAY 8, 1903.

3 SHEETS--SHEET 3.

NITED STATES Patented May 2, 1905.

ROY STONE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

OVERHEAD SHIELD FOR TUNNELING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 788,611, dated May 2, 1905.

Application filed May8, 1903. Serial No. 156,154.

To all whom, it may cone/aria:

Be it known that I. ROY STONE, a citizen of the United States, residing at the borough of Manhattan, city; county, and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Overhead Shields for Tunneling, of which the following is a specification.

In driving tunnels, especially beneath water, it has heretofore been extremely diflicult to keep out the soft Water-soaked earthy materials, and the practice of tunneling beneath water is not only slow, but hazardous. A

The object of my invention is .to protect the advancing portion of the tunnel in process of construction from the pressure of the overhead water and its action upon the watersoaked earthy materials at the bottom and at the same time to in a large measure overcome the tendency of the water-soaked earthy materials impeding the progress of the tunnel.

I provide a dome-shaped shield of plate metal of circular or elliptical outline with an all'around downwardly-extending piercing or penetrating edge. The shield is hollow and deepest centrally, tapering to the edges, and it is substantially crescent-shaped in crosssection. It is preferably provided with an all-around marginal platform, and a flexible curtain is connected to and projects from the platform, so as to lie upon the surface of the river-bottom, the said platform meanwhile and if desired forming a place for the divers employed in the work to stand upon. Metal piles forming an operative part of the shield structure extend around the edge of the shield beneath the platform, and they are ad vantageously provided with tube members passing up through the platform and guided therein, and which tube members rise toward the surface of the water to receive a drivingbar for sinking the metal piles. These piles are advantageously interlocked at their edges by a tongue-andgroove connection. They are movable with the shield structure, at which time they may be normally supported in any desired manner. They may be driven down below the edge of the shield to a limited extent consistent with their length. Suitable pipes, valves, &c., are provided for the manipulation of the apparatus, all of which are hereinafter more particularly set forth.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section representing the devices of my improvement in position at the bottom of a body of water. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the domeshaped shield. Fig. 3 is a cross-section at the meeting edges of two of the metal piles, and Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section at right angles to Fig. 1.

0 represents a tunnel in course of construction, Z) the earthy materials surrounding the same and at the bottom of a body of water, and 0 represents the water.

(Z represents a shield formed of plates 2 3 of metal. The same is hollow, deepest centrally, tapering to the edges, and substantially crescent-shaped in cross-section, being preferably circular or elliptical in outline and constructed with an all-around downwardlyextending piercing or penetrating edge 4. This shield is adapted to occupy an overhead position with reference to the tunnel, and with reference to the position thereof shown in Figs. 2 and 3 one end preferably covers or extends over the portion to be penetrated by the tunnel as built for the purpose of protecting the same during construction from the pressure of the water overhead and from the tendency of the soft water-soaked earthy materials because of such pressure impeding the progress of the tunnel. The penetrating edge 4 is adapted to pierce and extend for an appreciable distance down into the soft earthy materials and tends to hold back the portion thereof that extends outside of said penetrating edge or sides.

6 represents a marginal platform preferably extending all the way around the shield and secured thereto by bracket-supports.

f is a flexible curtain, which may be made of any desired material, advantageously of green hides. These flexible curtains are adapted to lie upon the surface of the earthy materials at the bottom of the body of water and by the support they aflord over the surface covered serve to prevent the injurious action of the Water along the sides of the overhead shield or adjacent thereto, forcing down the soft materials during the excavation for the tunnel.

9 represents metal piles, preferably in plate form, set edge to edge and advantageously provided with an interlocking tongue and groove, as shown in Fig. 3, so as to cause the series of metal piles to be substantially continuous around the downwardly-projecting edge of the shield and below the platform 6.

I provide tubular members 9, which advantageously pass through the platfo rm 6 and extend upward toward or above the surface of the water and are at their lower ends connected to said metal piles by shoes. These tubular members serve for the entrance of driving-bars for sinking the metal piles. A pipe it is preferably employed, and the same extends from above the surface of the water directly through the shield structure and appreciably below the plate 3 thereof into the space between the under surface of the shield and the bottom of the body of water. A pipe 2' passes through the upper plate 2 of the shield into the space between the plates at one side near the lower portion of the inner space and therefrom to the top of the water for connection to a pumping device.

An air-pipe k is preferably employed and a valve Z in the plate 2 at the central portion of the shield. I also prefer to employ guyropes m to the outer edges of the flexible curtain f and chains 02. to the respective corners of the shield structure, the guy-ropesm'serving the purpose of lifting the flexible curtain up onto the shield structure and the chains n for moving the shield structure from one place to another. In moving theshield structure and piles from one place to another the piles may be supported in relation to the shield and platform in any desired manner, the details of which are not shown and which form no part of my present invention.

The operation of my improved shield for tunneling will be as follows, presuming that the flexible curtain f is thrown back onto the convex surface of the shield and the metal piles g are in an elevated position, (suitably supported) as shown in Fig. 1: The shield, the curtain, and piles are, by means of a suitable derrick device on a float, suspended by the chains a, and by this device are lowered to the bottom of the water into the desired position or are moved from one place and lowered into an advanced position, and the weight of the structure will cause the same to penetrate the soft water-soaked earthy materials at the bottom to an appreciable extent. By means of the pipe it the water beneath the shield is pumped out, and water isadmitted between the plates of the shield, so as to fill the shield. This is preferably done by opening the valve Z. The weight of the water in the shield and the weight of the water above the shield because of the partial vacuum produced by the removal of the water beneath the shield forces the shield farther down into the soft earthy materials. Divers supported on the platform 6 then lay the flexible curtain f outwardly from the shield upon the soft earthy material at the bottom of the body of water, and the metal piles g are driven downward to the desired extent, preferably by bars loosely fitting the tubular members 9, force being applied from above the water. I do not limit myself to the devices for forcing down the metal piles, as other means may be employed. In the operation of driving the piles the relation of the one to the other is maintained by the tongue-and-groove or interlocking edges, (shown in Fig. 3,) and the direction of the piles is insured because there is an appreciable all-around flat surface of the shield against which the metal piles bear as a guide, the tubular members 9 also forming guides. The metal piles extending around the corners of such a structure as is shown in Fig. 2 will be segments of a circle, or, if desired, a single curved piece may be employed at each corner, interlocking with the straight adjacent pieces. Beneath. this shield thus put in position the work of tunneling progresses substantially until the edge of the shield or the metal piles are reached at the opposite end. The metal piles are then raised into the position Fig. 1 and the flexible curtains thrown over upon the top of the shield. ater is admitted beneath the shield, and the water within the shield pumped out by means of a suitable pumping device through the pipe 6, air being admitted to the shield, as the water is withdrawn, by means of the pipe 71;. The weight of the shield is then reduced as much as possible, and by means of the chains a and a suitable derrick device on a float the said shield, the piles, and curtain are then bodily raised and moved forward to a new position, in which the aforesaid operations are repeated for further advancing the tunnel.

I claim as my invention 1. A device for assisting the operation of tunneling especially through the bed of abody of water, comprising a dome-shaped structure of metal with an all-around penetrating edge and means for raising and lowering the same.

2. A device for assisting the operation of tunneling, especially through the bed of a body of water, comprising a dome-shaped structure of metal with an all-around penetrating edge, means for raising and lowering the same, an all-around series of metal piles, and means for operating the same to extend the same below said penetrating edge.

3. A device for assisting the operation of tunneling, especially through the bed of a body of water, comprising a dome-shaped structure of metal with an all-around penetrating edge, means for raising and lowering the same, an all-around series of metal piles, means for operating the same to extend the same below said penetrating edge, a marginal platform extending around the shield and a flexible curtain connected thereto and forming an outward prolongation of the platform.

4. A device for assisting the operation of tunneling, especially through the bed of a body of water, comprising a dome or crescent shaped structure in cross-section composed of metal plates and hollow, and having an allaround downwardly extending penetrating edge adapted to sink into the soft material at the bottom of the body of water, and means for raising and lowering the same.

5. A device for assisting the operation of tunneling, especially through the bed of a body of Water, comprising a dome or crescent shaped structure in cross-section composed of metal plates and hollow, and having an allaround downwardly extending penetrating edge adapted to sink into the soft material at the bottom of the body of water, means for raising and lowering the same, means for admitting water within the said shield, and means for pumping out the water and permitting air to replace'the same, and other means for pumping out the water beneath the shield.

63. A device for assisting the operation of tunneling, especially through the bed of a body of water, comprising a dome or crescent shaped structure in cross-section composed of metal plates and hollow, and having an allaround downwardly extending penetrating edge adapted to sink into the soft material at the bottom of the body of water, means for raising and lowering the same,-an all-around series of metal piles lying closely adjacent to the sides of the shield, and means for lowering and raising said piles.

7. A device for assisting the operation of tunneling, especially through the bed of a body of water, comprising a dome or crescent shaped structure in cross-section composed of metal plates and hollow, and having an allaround downwardly extending penetrating edge adapted to sink into the soft material at the bottom of the body of water, means for raising and lowering the same, an all-around series of metal piles lying closely adjacent to the sides of the shield, means for lowering and raising the said piles, and a marginal platform connected to the shield structure, and a flexible curtain connected thereto and extending outwardly therefrom.

8. A'device for assisting the operation of tunneling, especially through the bed of a body of water, comprising a dome or crescent shaped structure in cross-section composed of metal plates and hollow, and having an allaround downwardly-extending penetrating edge adapted to sink into the soft material at the bottom of the body of water, means for raising and lowering the same, an all-around series of metal piles lying closely adjacent to the sides of the shield, means for lowering and raising the said piles, a marginal platform connected to the shield structure, a flexible curtain connected thereto and extending outwardly therefrom, means for pumping the water out from beneath the hollow crescentshaped shield, means for admitting water within the shield to [ill the same and add to its weight, and means for pumping the water out of the shield and permitting the same to be replaced by the air.

Signed by me this 5th day of May, 1903.

ROY STONE.

Witnesses:

Gno. T. PINCKNEY, BERTHA M. ALLEN. 

